New homes: Manor House Gardens, Bilbrough

SMALL and select... big and beautiful...

two descriptions and you can choose whichever you prefer – because they are both entirely accurate when it comes to describing a trio of superb new homes in Bilbrough.

The small and select tag obviously refers to the size of the development – the big and beautiful is the best way to describe the houses themselves.

The three properties which make up Manor House Gardens are in a little enclave situated just off the village Main Street, each individually designed and laid out and each with very much a unique character of their own.

There’s an air of quality not just in the location but in the team which has put the homes together; they are designed by the Robert Burns Partnership and built by London Ebor (both parties having a distinguished record in creating homes in Yorkshire).

London Ebor, incidentally and despite the name, is very much a York-based company and has been responsible for a number of similar high-quality, small developments in the area, including new-build and conversion properties.

But back to Mansion Gardens and, if you care to take our hand, we will take you on a guided walk around this terrific trio, starting with Meadow House, where there is a huge amount to see and enjoy.

This is a three-storey detached property which, like its fellows, has been built using traditional materials very much in keeping with the surroundings and yet has lovely modern styling and amenities.

It is a handsome-looking home, then, with a double-fronted aspect with dual bay windows to the front.

Here you step into an imposing hallway (which for show-home purposes has been arranged as a dining hallway and very smart it looks, too) before opening onto a splendid living room, a simply beautiful space with a light and bright feel and French doors opening onto the (south-facing) garden.

Doors to the garden also feature in the bespoke breakfast kitchen, another delightful room with a range of cream painted kitchen cabinets paired with black granite work surfaces, a central island with oak preparation top, and integrated appliances include an Americanstyle fridge freezer, range-style cooker and dishwasher.

The dining area runs into a singlestorey family area overlooking the garden. The ground floor also includes a utility room and cloakroom, and there is the useful addition of a study to the front of the house.

All four of the bedrooms on the first floor have en-suite facilities, and there is a luxurious house bathroom.

Up the stairs to the second floor and you will find yet another bedroom, a flexible space which could also become a workroom/playroom or even a home office (and, naturally, it has its own bathroom).

Gardens and garage complete the package here, the guide price for which is £695,000.

Next we’ll move next door to have a look at Fox Covert, another beautiful home. While we’re not supposed to have favourites, we have to confess that this is the house we most coveted out of the three.

This, again, is a stylish home with a similarly-impressive reception hallway.

All three properties have engineered oak flooring in the hallways and Travertine flooring in kitchens and bathrooms. That oak flooring, in this instance, extends to the brilliant living room, another bright and breezy room with doors out to the garden.

The kitchen/dining/family area here is just fantastic, a lovely big space with the well-equipped kitchen flowing, around a central preparation island, into the dining/family space with a wraparound area at the end dancing with light from French doors and windows all around its curves.

(Give me the keys and let me move in was my first reaction to this room).

There’s more here, too, with a separate utility room, ground-floor cloakroom and a study.

On the first floor, in a similar fashion to Meadow House, there are four bedrooms, all with en-suite bath or shower rooms and a house bathroom and a fifth bedroom, including en-suite, on the second floor.

This property has an integral double garage and is priced at a guide level of £650,000.

And now, last but definitely not least in any category, we have Orchard House, another treasure. If you don’t need the fifth bedroom and don’t want three storeys, then this is very much the one for you...

On the ground floor you have that clever use of a dining hallway, there’s another superb open-plan kitchen/dining room (again with French doors out to the garden and plenty of space to spread around in) and a super spacious living room.

There is a utility room and a cloakroom off the kitchen.

Upstairs, there is a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a guest bedroom with en-suite, two further double bedrooms and a house bathroom.

An attached double garage completes the line-up, and this home is offered with a guide price of £545,000.

The exclusive development, as we said earlier, is tucked away off the Main Street, with open countryside views and within strolling distance of Bilbrough’s amenities including the excellent ‘foodie’ Three Hares public house.

It’s in a good commuting spot, too, with the A64 a short drive away and with easy access to York and roads east and west. It’s also in the catchment area for Tadcaster Grammar School.

Great houses, great location... The homes in Manor House Gardens are marketed jointly by Stephensons (01904 625533) and RM English (01904 697900).